Top Rehabilitation Care Brings More Patients Home

SPRINGFIELD, Mo., April 11, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- An illness or injury can change a person's life, and some are never able to live at home again.

For others, the right rehabilitation at the right time makes all the difference. Getting patients back to their homes and families is the goal for Mercy's rehabilitation hospitals in St. Louis, Oklahoma City and Springfield, Missouri. New rankings prove the teams are doing just that.

Of the nearly 800 rehab hospitals reporting their patient outcomes to the Uniform Data System for Medical Rehabilitation, all three of Mercy's dedicated rehabilitation hospitals rank in the top 10 percent for patient recovery.

"We want our patients to leave rehabilitation with the basic skills necessary to live at home," said Dr. Hollis Bell, who leads Mercy's physical medicine and rehabilitation programs. "Our teams work with patients to set goals and then do the work to reach those goals. Rehab is challenging, but when you know you have a caring team cheering you on amazing things are possible."

Patient Greg Redfern agrees. He's had three separate stays at Mercy's rehab hospital in Springfield. The latest came after he was diagnosed with a rare condition called myasthenia gravis, which affects the muscles. He was driving down the highway when his eyelids refused to open. "It was terrifying. Somehow I managed to pull over."

When the disease affected his breathing, he ended up in the intensive care unit and lost his ability to stand and walk. "I knew immediately where I wanted and needed to go – Mercy rehab." These days, Redfern is once again on his feet.

Terry Knox has also had three separate rehab visits at Mercy's facility in Oklahoma City after back surgery. "It's always been quite pleasant as far as staying in the hospital goes," he said. "When I would watch the therapists working with patients, I realized just how good they are at what they do," Knox said. "You have to be a special person to do that kind of work, and they all did it with a smile on their face."

Mercy's rehabilitation hospitals are a partnership with Kindred Healthcare, the nation's largest provider of post-acute care. These facilities frequently take patients other rehab hospitals turn away, including those with spinal cord injuries, burns and severe traumatic brain injuries.